Tucked away in basements, hidden in closets, hiding behind boxes in the back of the garage — most people don’t think about their water heaters until the hot water stops flowing.
Which is unfortunate. Because as you work hard to keep your energy costs down, that big tank is burning a hole in your utility bill.
“It’s always a good idea to limit your water consumption, especially with hot water, to keep your energy and water bills low,” said Clark Public Utilities Energy Services Supervisor DuWayne Dunham. “But if you want to take a real bite out of your energy costs along those lines, the best thing to do is upgrade to a heat pump water heater.”
Water heaters are among the most heavily used and most inefficient appliances in the home. Traditional electric water heaters consume about 15 to 20 percent of the average home’s power, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Like an old car that doesn’t get the fuel mileage it used to, water heaters may become less efficient over time. Meaning your old tank’s true annual expenses may be higher than what the estimated yearly energy costs sticker on its side may claim.
A traditional electric-resistance 50-gallon electric water heater might cost somewhere between $400 and $600 a year to operate. A heat pump water heater, often called a hybrid water heater because they can switch over to standard electric resistance heat automatically, typically costs about half of that.
“Heat pump water heaters can use up to 63 percent less energy than traditional electric water heaters,” said the study’s lead researcher, Sarah Widder, of the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, said in a news release.
At their most basic levels, heat pumps are heat exchangers. They move heat from one space to another, rather than creating it like resistance heaters do. It’s a highly efficient, battle-tested technology that’s proven itself for home heating across the globe and right here in Southwest Washington.
Companies have seamlessly and successfully moved the technology into water heaters. They are more expensive than traditional water heaters, but they pay for themselves quickly. No matter how old your current tank is, investing in a hybrid water heater will pay off — even if your home requires a little modification–thanks to utility incentives and significantly lower energy bills over the lifetime of the tank.
Clark Public Utilities offers a $500 rebate for a new hybrid water heater in existing homes, when replacing an electric resistance water tank. New homes can qualify for a $300 rebate to install a new hybrid tank during construction. Qualifying heat pump water heaters purchased at retail locations in Oregon have the $500 incentive applied at the time of purchase. We also offer an $800 rebate for split system heat pump water heaters replacing electric storage water heaters in existing homes or installed in new construction. Certain conditions apply.
There are also some considerations to factor in when investing in one. Heat pumps exhaust cool air. So, if your tank has to sit inside your home’s conditioned space, it might benefit from ductwork for the exhaust and possibly the intake to the outdoors. In an experiment, the Pacific Northwest National Labs found closets holding unducted hybrid water heaters were about 5 degrees cooler in the summer and about 8 degrees cooler in the winter.
They are also a bit noisy — about 60 decibels when operating, compared to a vacuum’s 80. So plan its location accordingly. However, that’s less of an issue if it’s in the garage.
Energy Adviser is produced by Clark Public Utilities and relies on the expertise of utility energy counselors and staff, who provide conservation and energy use information. To contact us call 360-992-3355, email ecod@clarkpud.com or visit www.clarkpublicutilities.com.
